1 hr ago
Supreme Court Ruling Fails to Stop Trump’s Mail Voting Attacks
The Supreme Court stopped President Donald Trump from adding new rules for voting by mail.
Trump still says mail voting is corrupt and could be unsafe.
Election officials and voting-rights groups say there is no evidence of widespread fraud.
They also say mail voting has already worked smoothly in recent party primaries.
Many Americans use mail ballots, including about 47 million people in the 2024 presidential election.
Some officials worry that Trump’s statements could make voters confused or distrustful.
However, several experts said they now feel confident the election process will not be thrown into chaos.
One voting group said the criticism may even be encouraging more people to make plans to vote.
The Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail-in ballots before the midterms.
Trump continued attacking mail voting, calling it a “totally CORRUPT and out of control” disaster.
Voting-rights advocates and election officials said they were more confident the attacks would not disrupt November’s elections.
Trump’s proposed rules would have required voter-specific data and Postal Service-approved, barcode-tracked ballot envelopes.
Election officials said previous fraud allegations were never substantiated, while some advocates said the attacks were motivating voters to make voting plans.
- Who
- President Donald Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court, voting-rights advocates, election officials, and Republican strategist Matt Dole.
- What
- The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s proposed restrictions on mail-in ballots, while Trump continued criticizing mail voting.
- Where
- The issue concerns elections across the United States, with comments from officials in Michigan, Ohio, Colorado, and Washington.
- When
- The ruling was issued on Monday, and Trump criticized it in a post on Tuesday; the midterm elections are scheduled for November.
- Why
- Trump says mail voting is vulnerable to corruption and fraud, while election officials and voting-rights advocates say those claims lack evidence.
Election Officials and Voting Advocates
Trump’s Position
Mail voting security
Election Officials and Voting Advocates
Election officials and voting-rights advocates say claims of widespread fraud lack evidence and describe the voting process as secure and accurate.
Trump’s Position
Trump says mail-in voting is corrupt, out of control, and vulnerable to fraud.
Risk of election disruption
Election Officials and Voting Advocates
Experts and officials said they were increasingly confident that Trump’s rhetoric would not disrupt the midterm elections.
Trump’s Position
Trump’s proposed rules sought tighter controls involving voter data, approved envelopes, barcodes, and Postal Service handling.
Effect on voters
Election Officials and Voting Advocates
The League of Women Voters said the attacks appeared to motivate more people to make concrete plans to vote by mail or in person.
Trump’s Position
Trump’s continued criticism could reinforce concerns about the legitimacy of mail voting, although a Republican strategist cited in the report did not expect widespread fraud claims in the midterms.
Key facts
- Mail voters in 2024
- About 47 million people, or roughly 32% of the electorate, voted by mail in the 2024 presidential election.
- Party voting patterns
- Thirty-seven percent of Democrats and 24% of Republicans voted by mail in 2024, according to the cited MIT Election Data and Science Lab figures.
- Proposed restrictions
- Trump’s proposal would have required voter-specific data and Postal Service-approved envelopes tracked with barcodes.
- Supreme Court action
- The court blocked Trump’s attempt to impose the new mail-ballot restrictions before the midterms.
- Election officials’ assessment
- Officials and voting experts said recent party primaries proceeded smoothly despite months of attacks on mail voting.
- Fraud allegations
- Lisa Brown said Trump’s previous allegations about the 2020 election were never substantiated.
Quotes
Hannah Fried
Executive director of All Voting Is Local, a voting-rights advocacy group
“He made claims of fraud in 2020. There was never any proof of that. That election was accurate, secure, and fair”
theprint.in
“I was more scared a year ago than I am now”
theprint.in
Sources
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